Cigas Machine Shop of Pottstown passes solar power milestone

The solar array on the roof of the former Bethlehem Steel building now occupied by Cigas Machine Shop (painted red) provides enough electricity to make the location's electric bill half what it pays at its Coatesville facility. (Photo Courtesy of Pottstown Area Industrial Development Inc.)

POTTSTOWN — While some of us avoid the sun during the scorching heat of July, Craig Cigas says to bring it on.

Cigas is the owner of Cigas Machine Shop, which manufactures “high-quality stainless steel plate products for industrial, commercial and architectural applications,” operating a plant in a former Bethlehem Steel building since 2008.

On top of that 19th century industrial building is an example of 21st century technology -- photo-voltaic solar cells which convert sunlight into electricity, lots and lots of electricity.

“Actually, I was down on the floor when the counter turned over and I thought ‘wow, this is pretty cool,’” Cigas told The Mercury Wednesday.

Founded in Coatesville in 1958 by Cigas’ late father, Andrew, the business expanded to Pottstown in 2008, when it took over the former Bethlehem Steel building.

“It was a typical old steel mill building. It was a strong building with all the utilities we needed, but it had no heat, no lights. We did quite a bit of renovation,” Cigas said. “It looks considerably better now.”

The solar electric cells were among the improvements.

“The size of the system is pretty considerable. It’s certainly bigger than a household system,” Cigas said.

It’s difficult to calculate the full impact of the system because “we get solar credits which we can sell on the market, and there are times we are generating more electricity than we need, so we sell that back to PECO,” said Cigas.

Further, he said, PECO charges industrial rates for electricity “in tiers and I know that we generate enough of our own power that it usually keeps us out of the top tier. I can tell you both facilities are about the same size and our bill for the Pottstown facility is about half that of the Coatesville site.”

Benefits like that are making industrial use of solar power a growing trend.

“The continued, rapid deployment of solar nationwide will create thousands of new American jobs, pump hundreds of billions of dollars into the U.S. economy and help to significantly reduce pollution,” the statement said.

A quarterly joint report by the SEIA and GTM Research on the solar market found that in the first quarter of 2014, installation of solar power capacity has risen by 79 percent over the same quarter of 2013, “making it the second-largest quarter for solar installations in the history of the market.”

“Solar accounted for 74 percent of all new U.S. electric capacity installed in (the first quarter of 2014), further signaling the rapidly increasing role that solar is playing in the energy market,” said Shayle Kann, senior vice president at GTM Research.

It’s a long way from the two machines in the basement of a dairy barn, where Cigas’ father began the company after learning the craft in the Navy.

“He worked hard and made sure I went to college,” Cigas said, adding with a chuckle, “I guess this is where his investment pays off.”

The investment in solar is also paying off in other ways.

Cigas said the plant, which employs six workers full-time, “is staffing up for multiple projects.”

About the Author

Evan Brandt has worked for The Mercury since November 1997. His beat includes Pottstown, the surrounding townships and the Pottstown and Pottsgrove school districts, as well as other varied general topics like politics, the environment and education. Reach the author at ebrandt@pottsmerc.com
or follow Evan on Twitter: @PottstownNews.